This invention relates to metal components with integral channels, and to a method of integrating channels into metal components.
In the manufacture of a wide variety of industrial and other components it is desirable to incorporate a channel through an otherwise solid metallic body. For example, the combustion chamber in the space shuttle main engine has cooling channels. Dies for die casting metal have cooling channels. Heat exchangers for a wide variety of industrial processes have integral channels.
Heretofore one method of manufacturing channels into solid metal bodies has been by boring to remove metal. A limitation of this method is that it is difficult to bore other than straight channels. Another method has been to machine mating metal surfaces to form mating grooves, and then join the mating surfaces. A disadvantage of this method is that joining is involved, while it would be more desirable to be able to manufacture channels directly into a solid metal, rather than into two separate bodies to be joined.
Xu et al. disclosed a rapid-prototyping process to position cooling channels in investment casting tooling as at X. Xu, E. Sachs, S. Allen and M. Cima, Solid Freeform Fabrication Proceedings, 1998, also available at www.oit.doe.gov/inventions/factsheets/emtec.pdf.